I don't know what the investigation will find, but I have to take my hat off for a moment and say bravo to the folks on the 25th Floor of the City-County Building. This one would have been easy to just let die, but the Mayor and his staff obviously felt the need to stand up and do something in this case.

I'm sure it will attract a lot of detractors on his own side of the aisle. Local attorney and fellow blogger Paul Ogden, for example, commented here after reading this blog's post on the topic that he would be more likely to buy something from Just Cookies in the wake of the incident. Ogden, I'm sure, would tee up the Mayor here and knock him 350 yards down the fairway if he could. That's his prerogative.

In this case, however, I must actually defend Mayor Ballard for doing the opposite of what many GOP administrations might do here. Run for the hills and hide behind some sort of justification that business can do business with whomever it wants for any reason. What Mayor Ballard is saying by his action is that accusations of this type of discrimination in a city-owned property is worthy of a city investigation, and I applaud his actions.

I still disagree with you on almost everything, Mayor Ballard, but you and your administration got this call correct.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Well, you knew it was going to come out sooner or later. Writing for Terry Burns' Indianapolis Times blog, my good friend Erin Rosenberg has blown the lid off the Charlie White scandal. The gist of the post is just as the headline to the post puts it: Charlie White's story just isn't adding up, and it has now been proven. Read the full story on the Indianapolis Times blog.

In the light of this new evidence, it should be fun to see how Mr. White tries to wiggle away. I don't know if he can or not. The post makes it pretty clear that all denials probably won't work anymore. This might sink the battleship.

I guess when you're trying to lock the closet door; the skeletons sometimes get out anyway.

The Marion County Democratic Party released an ad in the Indianapolis Recorder this past week that pretty much pointed out the difference between the world of Democrats and the world of Republican politicians including notables like Greg Ballard, Mitch Daniels, and Carl Brizzi.

This is now the second story that has been published on the HuffPo this week about the White controversy. Browning's piece also referred to this blog's post that Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard would be headlining a fundraiser for White.

The Indianapolis Star also raises, for the first time, the question about a statement from White's campaign. Dan Parker, the Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, held a news conference that accused White of committing voter fraud. In response, White's campaign released this statement:

"...it’s unfortunate that a set of personal and family-related circumstances created this scenario, but the simple fact is that Charlie was entitled under law to vote one last time at his old polling location. The only issue here pertains to filing a change of address for his voter registration form, an oversight that has been previously brought up and already fixed. Charlie has repeatedly taken full responsibility for the any mistakes he may have made and has taken all the steps necessary to correct them.”

Listen, I know divorces get nasty, and I fully get that things get crazy! I've seen it firsthand, but the numbers in the equation don't add up.

"It is questionable, though, whether state allow allows White to “vote one last time at his old polling location.” Indiana code says a voter who moves 30 days before an election may vote if they make an oral or written affirmation of their current address to poll clerks.

White apparently moved in March, more than 30 days, and there was no immediate information that he informed poll clerks of his address change in that May primary.

White, who is being challenged in the race for secretary of state by Democrat Vop Osili and Libertarian Mike Wherry, has said he was too busy to change the address on his voter registration before the May primary election to his new address."

Anyone that has worked an election should know this rule. Having worked several, you always seem to get one or two voters that come in having moved out of the precinct shortly before the election wanting to vote. As Schneider points out, it is permissible to vote in this case only if they have moved within 30 days of the election. There is no "one last time" exemption as applied to White's case as his campaign claims.

In addition to everything, it appears that White doesn't know the state's election law, either. Again, all the more reason to vote for Vop Osili on Nov. 2.

priv·i·lege-A special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste.

right-The fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.

Driving is a privilege. Voting is a right.

Jana Scott doesn't get this distinction, and she wants to be the Chief Election Officer in Marion County. That should scare you.

Last night at the Decatur Township Civic Council Candidate Forum, Marion County Clerk Beth White and GOP candidate for her job, Jana Scott went head to head. Scott made it through the first question unscathed on satellite voting. She even managed to drive the line on the "I was for it before I was against it" exit ramp saying that she supports voting centers and satellite voting sites only if greater security measures are in place.

Then, she dropped it.

"Voting is a privilege," said Scott. Asked later to clarify, she again reiterated that voting is a privilege, but she added, "and a right."

According to the Constitution, the courts, Congress, and the raving crazy guy on the corner, there's no privilege. Voting's a right.

Don't believe me? The 15th Amendment sets the precedent here. The 19th Amendment addresses it as well as the 24th and 26th Amendments. It's in the Constitution, and it isn't called a privilege.

Congress has addressed the right to vote as well. In 1965, it passed the sweeping Voting Rights Act to address the disenfranchisement of many racial minorities. In 1986, Congress passed the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act giving the right of those abroad to participate in the process.

For the record, Beth White made it simple. Citing her 20 years of experience as an attorney and her nearly four years as clerk, White simply said, "Voting is a right!"

Ahh...the Clerk gets it! All the more reason to give her another four years in office!IN OTHER NEWS...

There were other candidates at the event as well: Joe Hecko, the GOP candidate for Auditor, and John Layton, the next Marion County Sheriff were there. Also present were the GOP and Democratic candidates for Assessor, Becky Williams and Joe O'Connor.

Williams and O'Connor both cited their impeccable experience for the job. Both are supremely qualified and both credited each other for their qualifications which Becky Williams called, "nearly identical."

When asked what makes them the best candidate, Williams and O'Connor cited different qualifications. O'Connor said that he has had more varied experience working at the county level as Director of Assessment since 2007 and Deputy Assessor in Pike and Center Townships. He says he understands more of the county than Williams who has over 20 years in the Franklin Township office. Williams said that 12 years as the Franklin Township Assessor is her, "ace in the hole."

While Williams is the most credible Marion County candidate the GOP has put on the ballot this year, she still will likely not beat Joe O'Connor who is equally as qualified and has done a fine job working at the county level with current Assessor Greg Bowes dealing with all the challenges of consolidating the nine township assessors' offices into one Marion County Assessor's Office.

In the piece, Browning brilliantly links Governor Mitch Daniels' Presidential Express to White saying that he was the Guv's handpicked candidate for Indiana SOS. Browning also raises questions about the legality of White's run. Totally worth the read!

So, even though some bloggers are seemingly trying to be complicit with the Republicans and sweep this under the rug (ahem...Abdul), it looks like this one is going to be around a while. The bottom line of the story and the question raised is that Charlie White may have either knowingly or unknowingly committed voter fraud. Either way, is he now fit to serve as Indiana Secretary of State?

Apparently, Greg Ballard thinks so. The Indianapolis Mayor (and some of his accused puppet masters) are headlining a September 29 fundraiser for Charlie. The following is cut and pasted from the invitation:

Please join Mayor Greg BallardThis Wednesday, September 29th

For a reception in support of Charlie White

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

At the Lion’s Gate Community Club House8686 Jaffa Court W Drive Indianapolis, IN

JACK SANDLIN FOR CITY-COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 24MIKE SPEEDY, COUNCILLOR/CANDIDATE FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 90

$100 for Individual Attendees

RSVP to Ashlee Walls at ashlee.walls@charlieforindiana.com

Paid for and authorized by Charlie for Indiana; Paul Okeson, Chairman, Dan Bortner, Treasurer. Contributions or gifts to Charlie for Indiana are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

This is just another silly decision by Greg Ballard. He should be running from White instead of cozying up to him. Notable names on the invitation also are the Mayor's former Chief of Staff Paul Okeson, and former CIB President Bob Grand.

UPDATE...BREAKING NEWSWISH-TV's Jim Shella reported about an hour ago that White is possibly soon to be under a Grand Jury investigation for his ever-expanding scandal.

Attorney Greg Purvis, who brought documents to light last week showing that Charlie White's current residence was outside the Fishers Town Council District he was elected to serve, is now requesting, as Shella puts it, "an investigation into a possible felony charge and also suggests that an investigation is required into a real estate transaction in which White paid cash for a condo in Fishers." Purvis also requested a Grand Jury be convened and a Special Prosecutor be appointed in the case.

Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert testified in front of a House Judiciary Sub-committee on immigration. His testimony is below. Most of it is very funny, but he gets serious in the back and forth between members of Congress and himself on the issue.

Apparently, Colbert pulled a fast one on Congress and submitted serious testimony in advance, but he changed his testimony as he delivered it. Read more here.

Several GOP members didn't get the joke...of course...I wouldn't expect them to get it.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

I'm sure many of you have heard by now that pop singer Katy Perry did a video for Sesame Street with the character "Elmo" as they dance, sing, and run around to her song Hot and Cold. It was deemed inappropriate and never aired. Here it is:

Yahoo reports that Sesame Street posted the clip online and then was swamped with complaints about Perry's attire which, for the record, was the same thing that figure skaters wear.

Call me liberal...please...but this controversy's for the (Big) birds.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Vop Osili's campaign has released the following statement in the wake of Charlie White's disclosure that he has lived outside the Fishers Town Council District he represented since February.

Democrat Secretary of State Candidate Vop Osili Issues Statement on Opponent after Hearing of Allegations of Misconduct

Vop Osili, candidate for Indiana Secretary of State (www.votevop.com), issued the statement below, after hearing news of the conference held by local Fishers attorney, Greg Purvis. During the press conference on Wednesday, Purvis presented multiple documents attempting to illustrate issues of misconduct of Osili's opponent:

Republican Secretary of State candidate Charlie White did not live within the town council district he was serving during the last several months on the Fishers Town Council, which would have invalidated his seat.

Charlie White had been knowingly participating in Town Council votes illegally.While voting illegally, Charlie White cast votes that impacted the town of Fishers, its businesses, affected contracts that were awarded, affected outcomes on incorporation decisions, and directly breached the public trust.

Contribute Now

Vop Osili Statement:

"If these charges are true, this is not only alarming and troubling, but it also raises questions as to whether this individual should be given the public's trust to oversee elections and the voting process.

As our state's Chief Administrator of Elections, the Secretary of State should set the standards for integrity, and fairness with regard to voting and the election process, and of course adhere to the letter of the law-not bend or break the rules to suit personal gains.

If laws have been broken, I am certain that the appropriate legal authorities will investigate this expeditiously and bring the matter to a prompt conclusion and the citizens of Indiana deserve this.

The voters of Indiana deserve and should demand no less than a Secretary of State who is qualified and committed to protecting against voter fraud, and a Secretary of State who demonstrates that they will protect the sanctity of the voting process and the rights of all Hoosier citizens.

Too many times we are seeing politicians in our state and in Washington who think they are above the law and not responsible to their constituents - and this must be changed. I am committed to bringing the voice of Hoosier families into our statehouse and being a champion and voice of their causes."

Contribute Now

Osili must keep this issue alive. White and the GOP are anxious to bury it. If Vop has cash, this indiscretion by White must get on television...SOON.

Friday, September 24, 2010

There are four candidates on your ballot if you live in Indiana's 5th Congressional District, but none of them sound like they are progressives.

Of course, the incumbent, Dan Burton, who is from the wingnut wing of the Republican Party, is the only truly known commodity. He's an irrational conservative who has, over the years, done little in Congress but take up a seat. His own district and his own party was so appreciative of him that they gave him just 29 percent of the vote in the May Primary.

Tim Crawford won the Democratic nomination, but his positions read a lot like Burton's. Crawford has been erratic on the campaign trail showing little understanding of the important issues as viewed through a Democratic perspective.

Two educators have also joined the race, but they sound more tea party than coffee party. Libertarian Chard Reid's views, understandably, sound more Sarah Palin than Nancy Pelosi, and Jessie Trueblood's views sound perhaps a bit more moderate than Reid's or Crawford's, but they still sound pretty conservative.

So, thanks to the inability to nominate a progressive candidate like Nasser Hanna, progressives in the 5th CD have no choice but to choose the least of the four evils. That may be Burton. Yes, you read that correctly. At least Burton's views are mostly known. He may act like a wingnut, but he's your wingnut.

The Ballard Administration should be appalled at this story: A local baker in a city-owned property has refused to make rainbow cupcakes for a National Coming Out Day event.

Fox 59 has the story:

You know, I was almost willing to give the bakery the benefit of the doubt after Lily Stockton, the co-owner, said that the store, Just Cookies, didn't sell cupcakes and that the rainbow was too many colors for them to do. Then, her husband David, a co-owner had to open his mouth and drag out the "V" word: Values. He cited his impressionable children as a concern. What, the children haven't seen a rainbow before? Come on man.

It's amazing that the values of unity and understanding are often looked over. Just Cookies has the right to do business anyway they please, but discrimination is always wrong.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Evansville Courier Pressdid a perfect job summing up the major issues with Charlie White's recent disclosure that he has lived outside the Fishers Town Council District he was elected to represent for months. It's worth a read.

Indy Democrat has received the documents that Greg Purvis brought to light surrounding the case. I have attempted to post them below. They are extremely interesting and show the depth of the issue here. After all, had he been elected, this is the man that will be charged with protecting the state from voter fraud. The Secretary of State maintains the statewide voter roll.

Regardless of what may or may not have happened in this case, would you trust Charlie White now? I believe the kids might say, "HELLS NO!"

Now, more than ever, people need to talk to everybody about voting for Vop Osili and bringing some integrity to the office. Click on the images below to make them larger.

It's looking like the stars may be aligning for a battle royale between Becky Skillman and Evan Bayh for the Governor's Office in 2012. Sure, there are many twists and turns ahead, but if you believe what the two candidates said on Channel 13 last night...I'd say they are both in the pool and just beginning to swim.

Lt. Governor Skillman told WTHR's Kevin Rader that she is "seriously considering" a run for Governor. Skillman has largely been in the shadow of Governor Mitch Daniels for the last six years. Her future may still well be tied to the 2010 elections. If Governor Daniels gets a majority in the Indiana House, he will be able to jam through his agenda and Skillman will be the one getting the credit or the displeasure in the 2012 Gubernatorial race.

Soon-to-be former Senator Bayh told Kevin Rader that he hasn't made a final decision about 2012 yet, and he wouldn't go as far as to say that he was "seriously considering" a run, but his millions and his timeline for a decision say that he might. He told Rader that a decision will be made between Thanksgiving and New Year's about his future. He didn't categorically deny that he would run, either.

A wild card in all of this is Republican Congressman Mike Pence. While Pence is now potentially a national candidate given his performance in that recent Iowa conservative straw poll, there is some speculation that he could still come back to the Hoosier State and run for Governor. If he feels he's not yet ready for a run at the Presidency and decides that he wishes to add some executive experience to his resume, he might try.

Bayh will be a huge hill to climb for Skillman or even Pence. He has kept hold of his millions in campaign dollars, and he can quickly sneeze out more. Bayh has great appeal within the moderate category and can pull some Republican votes. I know he raises the ire of progressive Democrats...including this one...but there's no question that this could get really interesting over the next few months.

Yes, it looks like after a while in the wilderness, the Gubernatorial Grind may be heating up for 2012. Looks like it will be an interesting one to watch develop.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed Democratic candidate Vop Osili for Secretary of State. Here is the release from the Osili campaign.

INDIANAPOLIS (September 14, 2010) The Vop Osili for Indiana Secretary of State Campaign (www.votevop.com), is pleased to announce that the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police, and its 14,000 members, have endorsed Vop Osili for Secretary of State.

“On behalf of the 14,000 members of the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police, I am pleased to announce that the Indiana State Lodge has overwhelmingly voted to support Vop in the upcoming election, said Tim Downs, President of the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police. “Seldom do we find a candidate of Vop’s caliber who has the leadership and integrity to carry out the duties as Secretary of State for the great State of Indiana. Like the State Fraternal Order of Police, Vop is clearly focused on helping Hoosier families across our state live in safe and prosperous and communities, and because of that we are thrilled to back his candidacy.”

“I am extremely pleased to have the full support of the Indiana State FOP,” said Osili. “We share many of the same values and goals – to help Hoosier families lead happy and productive lives. Law enforcement, and specifically the State FOP, plays a key role in ensuring that all Hoosiers live in quiet, happy and peaceful neighborhoods and communities. I want to thank them for the endorsement, but more importantly for the work they do on behalf of Hoosier families across our great state.”

Osili continued, “This campaign is about all Hoosier citizens, at all socio-economic levels – rural or urban – having the opportunities to succeed and prosper by ensuring that good jobs are available to them; that they have the ability to easily vote; and that they truly believe that the state of Indiana will help protect their investments and retirements.”

Vop Osili’s campaign is focused on job creation, strengthening small businesses across Indiana, ensuring voter’s rights are protected, and protecting families’ retirements and investments from fraud.

The GOP was in an uproar when it was revealed that former Indianapolis City-County Councillor Patrice Abduallah lived outside the district he was elected to represent. Abduallah resigned his seat in District 15 of the City-County Council. Still, Republicans point to this as a sign of corruption, and Abduallah wasn't even running for state office.

His excuse as told to the Indianapolis Star...his busy schedule did not allow him to notice that his new condo was outside his district.

(RECORD SCRATCH SOUND EFFECT)

Huh?

To say that you did not know that a condo you bought was outside your district is laughable. In fact, it's so laughable that it's not really funny. White took the money of the Fishers taxpayers while he was statutorily no longer able to serve on the Council. As Jim Shella reports, some Democrats want him to return the cash.

When I looked into running for Decatur Township Advisory Board, I studied the maps and found out where my district was. I made sure I was in the right district, and I even took note of the district's boundaries so that I could make the necessary voter calls and contact. I knew the boundaries like the back of my hand.

It's ludicrous to suggest that an elected official who has been serving a district for 10 years, as White has, to not know his own district. LUDICROUS! What kind of representative has he been to those residents if he doesn't know the boundaries? I would offer that his excuse might be more fit for fertilizing the fields of Hamilton County more than be believed by anyone over the age of six.

Ask any elected official the boundaries of their district, and they can quote them chapter and verse.

This is HUGE! The Vop Osili campaign must jump on this with both feet and get the word out across television screens statewide and on the radio everywhere. It's amazing when a near-October-surprise falls right in your lap.

The long and short of it is that the man who wants to be the state's top election officer moved outside the district that he was elected to serve DURING HIS RUN FOR SECRETARY OF STATE! Game over, Mr. White.

While Mayor Greg Ballard has been requesting funds for his re-election campaign and will likely run for re-election, he has been mum on the subject and has announced nothing. That has fueled speculation among the bloggers out here in speculation land that perhaps the Mayor isn't necessarily jazzed up about running in 2011 for re-election. If that happens, that puts the GOP in a tough spot.

The bench is thin right now for the GOP on the local level. There are very few names out there that really strike fear in the hearts and minds of Democrats. The Marion County GOP has found its way to luck into wins at the ballot box and has, more recently, been unable to push through its own slate of candidates. With Ed Treacy at the helm, the Marion County Democratic Party has shown a greater ability to organize and push its candidates through the primary. Registration-wise, there is no debate anymore. Marion County leans blue.

Thus, for the GOP, the only show in town is Ballard. If I were Tom John or the GOP brass, I think I would have to concede that my future in keeping the Mayor's Office is tied to Mayor Ballard and his millions. Even then, Ballard has been exposed as damaged goods recently. Scandals in public safety and unpopular initiatives such as the water utility transfer deal and the current parking proposal have provided opportunities for political opponents to attack, and they have.

The attacks haven't been all from Democrats, either. Local bloggers on the right have been quick to criticize Mayor Ballard's diversion from the campaign promises he ran on in 2007. They thought they were getting a small government conservative leader that would make public safety first. Instead, they have gotten someone totally different. As Ballard continues to make missteps, the frustration has grown.

Back to the headline question, what if Mayor Ballard decides not to run for re-election? It's good for Democrats. Melina Kennedy is poised and established to carry forth a good message into the 2011 election season. Whether or not Ballard runs, Kennedy will make an excellent and appealing candidate. Most observers, including the Star's Matt Tully, believe that Kennedy will outlast Jose Evans and Ron Gibson in slating and in the primary.

A no decision for Ballard could set off another primary tilt. With the craziness that is currently prevalent on the Republican side of things, who knows what that means? You could end up with some interesting candidates coming out of the woodwork with a faction of the party voters determining who might run.

However you slice it, Republicans should want their Mayor to run. Though weakened, he gives them the best chance to win the office. Democrats find themselves in good position either way to put Kennedy in the office.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

There’s nothing more reprehensible than a hypocrite except a demagogue. John McCain proved today that he is both.

John McCain so hates the idea of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender military personnel that he to block a bill giving our troops a pay raise and led the charge against the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, successfully filibustering the bill so that now the Democrats have to go back to the drawing board on it. The final vote was 56-43, four votes short of the necessary 60 votes to block a Republican-led filibuster. “Democrats” from Arkansas, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor of Arkansas also sided with the Republicans in a procedural measure that effectively killed the bill for now. Majority Leader Harry Reid did as well as a procedural measure so that he might revive the bill at a later date.

Lincoln and Pryor aside, McCain today proved that the old John McCain is dead. This new John McCain is insipid, deceitful, and will lie to win elections.

During the DADT debate when he was a candidate for President, McCain glumly told reporters that if the military leaders supported the repeal of the bill that he would support it. Well, the military leaders came out in support of the repeal of this silly, misguided, and ridiculous ban and McCain suddenly became one of the strongest advocates against the repeal.

That, in my book, is dishonorable. Mr. McCain, I honor your service in uniform to this country. I honor your sacrifice and dedication, but today, you just extended the cold fact that many servicemen and servicewomen will be prisoners of war in their own bodies. They will be destined to fight, die, and defend our freedoms while being unable to be truly themselves. You have no doubt condemned some to suicide and many more to an unfair discharge.

For what? So you can say you’re conservative? To deny a whole population of people the right to openly serve is wrong, PLAIN WRONG.

The far right is so easy to fool. You dress up a candidate in a pretty little package, and they'll vote for it if it says the right things.

I can list all of Mike Pence's legislative accomplishments here...uherwell...uh...yeah...

Now, the right wants him to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States. Pence has not served as an executive at any level, and, prior to his time in Congress, had no legislative experience. Before he took office in 2001, he had run two failed campaigns for Congress.

In short, his resume is light. In his nine years in Congress, he has done little but be a good soldier and carry the GOP's holy water. This has endeared him to the Republican leadership, and he has quietly soldiered through the ranks. There is no doubt that Pence has paid his Republican dues to get where he is today as one of the highest-ranking U.S. House members. But, does that a President make? He can't compare with Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney, Rudy Guiliani, Mike Huckabee, or even Sarah Palin as an executive.

That's just a part of the story. You see, Mike Pence is a old guard Christian conservative, and he's good at playing the part. He's even good at making the Tea Party listen.

Now, it appears that Daniels and Pence may have a little tiff going over the comments that Daniels made earlier this year about conceding social issues in order to get things done. That's one thing I do like about Mitch Daniels. He isn't afraid to ruffle feathers...even if it's those of his own base. It's a great thing to admire about him, but it's also a reason why he's dead-in-the-water as a Presidential candidate. Mike Pence has the same so-called "Hoosier Values" and he couches it all in that evangelical package that got a lightweight with more executive experience like George W. Bush elected President of the United States.

Pence is so innocuous and so good at playing the media game (heck...he was a part of the media at one point) that he might just have a shot at slipping past all those big names and into the GOP nomination. Then again, he could just be the candidate-du-jour. A guy that likes to toe that Tea Party line just long enough for it to be convenient.

There's not much behind the Pence curtain, but, who cares? Right? To put it in Hoosier speak, "He speaks purty and talks about God." That might just be enough for a guy with a little experience and nothing to show for it to go a long way in the 2012 election season.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Rasmussen Reports is reporting in a poll released on Friday that Dan Coats is holding stable at 50 percent, but his lead has dropped by five points to Brad Ellsworth. He currently leads Ellsworth 50-34 in the latest Rasmussen Poll. That 16-point lead is down from 21.

I personally believe the race is way closer than 16 points. It wouldn't surprise me to see Coats in the lead, but I just don't believe that it's a 16-point race. Rasmussen is a Republican-leaning poll. I still have not seen a balancing poll on the left side of things.

Ellsworth and his campaign remain vigilant and are attacking Coats on his record as a lobbyist. They also are accusing Coats and the lobbying firm of being for things that Coats now rails against on the campaign trail.

This could also be a reaction to the Coats' campaign's head-scratching decision to go negative in a not close race. Instead of using the bio-oriented ads to re-introduce Coats, they have made a decision to come out nasty and swinging. That's clearly not working, but I think Coats will have a difficult time winning a nice guy race with Ellsworth. He needs to distort the record and link Ellsworth to the so-called "liberal agenda" in Washington.

While there's less than two months remaining, there's still plenty of time for Ellsworth to cut further into this lead and take the lead himself. Expect Ellsworth to get back up on television soon and continue to expose the true Dan Coats. Folks, this one is still in play.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Well, I can't tell if this was meant to be serious or not...probably not, but Marvin Scott's Facebook Page manager thought it was to dramatically post it on the page with the the tag "I Vote for Freedom."

How about Ben Franklin on the guitar, and who knew Thomas Jefferson could sing?

Thank you to all the phone calls and emails of support. The truth is that when the press starts attacking it means the opposition has something to worry about. I am running a very close competitive race; Mr. Carson you have every reason to worry. You voted for Wall Street Bailouts; I would not. You signed a letter against the only democracy in the Middle East; I would not; I am a fiscal conservative; you are not. Shall we go on? Let's have a public debate and see who is the best candidate for CD 7

So, let me write this open letter to Dr. Scott. For his benefit, I will type it VERY SLOWLY so that he can let it digest.

Dr. Scott,My name is Jon Easter. My blog, the Indy Democrat Blog, was the first blog to break the story about your campaign manager, Stan Solomon, and his offensive tweets after being tipped off by a friend on Sunday morning.

I went to Solomon's Twitter page and verified for myself that this had happened before I published the blog post which went live at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.

Even though I wrote the blog post, you created this story. When you decide to associate yourself with the kinds of views put forth by Stan Solomon, then you open yourself up for all kinds of criticism.

I respect that you cannot hire big name campaign managers and cannot afford the best campaign staff, but a little research should have told you that Solomon was just not right for you. Some out there in blogland tell a different story about your relationship with Stan Solomon than the one you are telling. You claim that you didn't know Stan's views, but longtime media exec. Kent Sterling says that you knew him for at least 10 years. Regardless, I was in high school when Solomon was on the WIBC airwaves, and I can remember what a polarizing figure he was.

With that in mind, you must see that this controversy is not about some out of control press corps or blogosphere. This story fell in our laps. It's not about how (not) competitive the race is or even about how (not) close the race was in 2006 when someone else who had some sense was running against the late Congresswoman Julia Carson. It's not about how competitive the 2002 race was, either. They weren't competitive at all. That has been debunked on my blog as well.

What it is about is your lack of understanding that no one wants to elect you. No one who has a brain wants you to be the Congressman for the 7th Congressional District. That would be a disaster. Your views, your actions, and your associates are simply not people that I would feel comfortable handing the keys over to to run a Congressional Office.

The true fact of the matter is that this race isn't even close. Congressman Andre Carson has been a tremendously effective Representative for the 7th Congressional District. He represents the district with honor, and he is everywhere throughout the district when he's not in Washington. He works this district hard, and the thing is that he doesn't have to.

Dr. Scott, I don't know you, but I will give you the benefit of the doubt. You must be a fairly smart man if you are a college professor. I don't understand why you can't see that the press doesn't have it out for you. YOU HAVE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF! My blog or Bil Browning's blog or even the person that referred the information to me didn't create this story. YOU DID!

The sad thing is that as many times as you have run for office and have been defeated that you would think you'd be pretty good at this by now. But, you aren't. Just don't play the victim of the media or me or Bil or anyone for this story when YOU DID IT YOURSELF.

I wouldn't wait up too late on November 2. The race should be over about 6:00 p.m.

Mayor Greg Ballard's parking deal for ACS continues to get more and more scrutiny as it is shepherded through the City-County Council by At-Large Councillor Barbara Malone. This story has been on a slow boil, and it's now starting to really hit boil over stage.

The Indianapolis Business Journal did a great analysis on the piece pointing out how the city's reported $400 million take pales in comparison to what the private company ACS stands to make from the agreement: $1.2 billion. That's right...billion with a "b".

Another source informs me by e-mail that there might be some conflict of interest issues between Council President Ryan Vaughn who works for Barnes & Thornburg. Barnes & Thornburg represents ACS in this transaction.

Small business owner, Zach Adamson, also has been all over this issue. Adamson, who is running for At-Large City-County Council, put out a news release on the parking deal. Here's a portion of that release:

I was relieved to learn the committee hearing on the Mayor’s parking meter deal with controversial vendor, ACS, was canceled.

While I am certain we will hear an explanation for this cancellation different than the complete lack of support for it in the business community, and while I expect the Mayor to pressure his caucus to bring this back up, that effort will fail if our council representatives put common sense above politics.

This deal is ill-conceived and short-sighted. The Mayor has us selling our future for pennies on the dollar in a contract that is staggeringly one-sided. Councillor Barbara Malone’s sponsorship of this proposal shows she will do the Mayor’s political bidding to the long-term detriment of not only small business owners but also her constituents. .

While I understand the desire to seek more dollars given the administration's cost-cutting efforts have failed, the Mayor must not lock the city into a terrible, fifty-year deal in exchange for a few extra dollars to repair infrastructure with a life span of 8-10 years. That makes as much sense as selling your house to put brakes on your car. When the infrastructure crumbles away, what will we do when there’s nothing left to sell? We need long-term solutions to serious issues and a strategic plan outlining how we will deal with future complications.

The Mayor has given away millions to the Indiana Pacers because he said they were necessary for the downtown economy. But now he will deal a blow to the businesses that drive that same economy by driving away their customers. This proposal is contrary to every investment made over the past twenty years to revitalize the economic corridors of Downtown, Mass Ave, and Broad Ripple. During that growth period, the city has not raised parking rates. Now would be the worst time to do so. Many businesses are hanging on by a thread, and it is unthinkable that the mayor’s office cannot see this.

I am running for City-County Council because I care about the future as much as the now. We need a council intent on stemming the auctioning off of our future through discount sales of valuable city assets. Our city needs leadership determined to find long-term solutions, not short term band-aids.

Only by preserving valuable income streams and supporting our small businesses can we avoid cataclysmic tax increases or massive reductions in critical services.

The mayor may not care about what happens after he vacates the 25th floor, but I do, and so do hundreds of thousands of others. I will not stop speaking for them until financial sanity regains a foothold in the City-County Building.

Adamson has said several other downtown business owners signed a petition opposing the deal.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Marion County Sheriff’s race continues to be under the radar, and it’s for good reason. It’s not a race at all. Right now, it looks like Democrat John Layton is about to go a lap ahead of Republican Dennis Fishburn.

Layton’s excellent bio ad is back up and running on television. It lays out the Colonel’s 36 years in the Sheriff’s Department and provides an excellent resumé ad for those that do not know him. Plus…I’ll just say it…it has cool music and shows the candidate in a variety of dangerous situations. Layton has held just about every rank you can hold in the department.

While it's easy to fall for Layton's bio in itself as a voter, he has gotten some results as well. One thing that gets glossed over is the progress that Layton and his boss, Sheriff Frank Anderson, have made at the Marion County Jail. Years of mismanagement made the Marion County Jail an awful place. It was overcrowded and under federal court order to bring things under control. Republicans like Jack Cottey had kicked the can further down the road for the next administration and thumbed their noses at the courts.

Frank Anderson always has said that when he put his hand up and took the oath of office that the Sheriff’s Department’s problems became his problems. He and Layton went to work and, with the help of a great team, have reduced the overcrowding problem, have complied with the court order, and have become the only Indiana municipally-owned jail to win accreditation from the American Correctional Association. This after the jail was once compared to a jail in Tijuana shortly after Anderson took the reins of the Sheriff’s Department. Layton was there every step of the way.

Fishburn continues to struggle to gain traction. The Republicans tossed aside the more well-financed Bart McAtee in the May Primary. The Marion County GOP refused to back him. Tim Motsinger, another credible GOP candidate, was taken down by the Durham scandal. To his credit, Motsinger returned every dime of the money Tim Durham donated to his campaign and shut the doors on his run early.

Now come scattered reports that the Fishburn campaign might be running with, what some might consider, dirty tactics. According to an e-mail I received, they are trying gotcha games on working Sheriff’s Deputies in the field by trying to goad them into openly campaigning for Layton while on official business or while they are working in an official capacity. That is, in a word, low!

Fishburn’s website does little to establish his credentials or his vision for the department. He has a link to a series of YouTube videos. In one, he summarizes his platform in 13 seconds.

Really in depth there, Sergeant.

To be fair, Fishburn has a series of these short 10-60 second answers on his YouTube account. Some of his ideas contradict themselves and many just don't add up.

The message here is that John Layton is the better choice for Sheriff, and, thanks to Dennis Fishburn's YouTube site, I can even make him agree.

This weekend, I whipped out the political crystal ball, and I was able to see a few things that I believe might or might not happen over the next few weeks. Unlike Abdul, I make no bones about the fact that this is all political horse puckey. Whatever that is. So, here we go!

Marvin Scott's Facebook Page operators start believing their own lies and urge the candidate to push for a recount because they didn't lose by 5,500 voters and get 46 percent of the vote in the 7th District race against Andre Carson. Instead, they lose by tens of thousands of votes and receive well less than 46 percent. Carson is easily re-elected.

Mayor Greg Ballard is caught sleeping on the job by Bob Segal in a sweeps week WTHR report. Mayor blames a faulty alarm clock and no noon wake up call from Joe Loftus.

Terry Curry wins election as the first Democratic Marion County Prosecutor in 16 years. Carl Brizzi, however, refuses to relinquish the office saying that Tim Durham made him Prosecutor-for-Life over drinks at Harry and Izzy's. State Senator Frank Anderson is asked to re-enact his Baptist Temple raid and all is settled.

Public Safety Director Frank Straub is finally reassigned. Mayor Ballard appoints him police chief and moves Paul Ciesielski to Public Safety Director. "I believe these changes will bring about the reforms we need to see," said Ballard in a 2:00 p.m. Saturday News Conference.

Mitch Daniels gets tired of being asked if he's running for President and goes off on Chris Wallace during a Fox News interview. "Of course I'm running," said the Governor. "Don't you read Matt Tully's columns in the Indianapolis Star."

State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, State School Superintendent Tony Bennett, and Attorney General Greg Zoeller are found wandering aimlessly on the State House lawn. Once the bio-receiver connections to Governor Daniels' Office are fixed, they all three resume normal operation.

Local bloggers Gary Welsh and Abdul Hakim-Shabazz get into a battle royale-style fight. Abdul wins by throwing Welsh over the top rope and into a vat of martinis.

George W. Bush nearly chokes on a potato chip. At a hastily called news conference, he accuses Frito Lay of being a terrorist and urges President Obama to launch a full attack on Fritoland.

Despite a strong run by his Democratic opponent, Ben Quayle is elected to Congress from Arizona. He quickly learns that it's difficult for a freshman Congressman to "knock the hell out of the place" and becomes frustrated. After calling his dad for help, he's caught at a local elementary school incorrectly spelling tomato. President Obama runs a web ad calling the Quayle family, "The Worst Spellers EVER."

In a rare occurrence, the election of Libertarian Lobo McDonttaxmebro in Wyoming's 2nd Congressional District creates a tie in the United States House with 217 members from each of the two major political parties winning election. The parties agree to an arm wrestling match between John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi to determine control of the House. Citing a sunburn, Boehner nominates Eric Cantor to represent the Republicans. Pelosi beats him in 2.2 seconds and the Democrats retain control of the House.

Brad Ellsworth defeats Dan Coats for election to the U.S. Senate. After conceding defeat, Coats goes home to North Carolina.

Solomon has used Twitter recently to express several anti-gay and anti-Muslim comments, including stating that “gay” stands for “Got AIDS yet?” and suggesting Americans should burn Mecca and Medina, two of Islam’s most revered sites.In a statement today, ISD stated:

"The Indiana Stonewall Democrats are dismayed at the horribly xenophobic and homophobic comments Stan Solomon has made on Twitter. But what is more surprising is that Dr. Scott has not called for Solomon’s immediate dismissal.

We make that call now.

Dr. Scott’s inaction puts the choice for 7th District voters in stark contrast. While Dr. Scott ignores continued expressions of bigotry by his closest advisor, Congressman Andre Carson is a staunch ally of the LGBT community and is committed to honoring the diversity of the 7th District. ISD is proud to support Representative Carson and the respectful campaign he has run.

Lori Morris, President of ISD, added, "As part of a minority group constantly attacked by far-right groups, we stand in solidarity with Congressman Carson's respect for diversity. We strongly condemn Stan Solomon's hate speech that advocates the burning of Muslim holy cities and refers to LGBT people by derogatory slurs."

Who's driving the bus over there at the Marvin Scott for Congress campaign? Scott's campaign manager, Stan Solomon has what I believe to be some very disturbing tweets on his Twitter feed. You can see them all here.

Do you want a few examples? And, I'm not kidding, these were there as of Sunday.

"Gay stands for Got AIDS Yet""Islam is the enemy you fools""Muslims use bibles for toilet paper & kindling...Pay back is a michelle ain't it""Defending family not excuse 4 firing warning shot...Save ur shots for politicians""Pro choice is wrong Abortionist need to die""Petraeus says no to Quran burning...I know let's burn Iran, Mecca & Medina""Filthy Queer wants kids of 14 for sex""Ron Paul asks if there's gold at Ft Knox...Is there an American in the White House""Obamacare previewed in Md...The guard, nurse & Admin. should get death penalty""Ebonics experts needed by DEA...black bro Muslim Congr. Andre Carson should apply""U should not allow queers around kids""Appeals Court halts gay marriage...To Queer or not to Queer That is the question""2% of all deaths in Holland r Euthanasia...Okillgrandma has big plans for us""Queer Judge judges Catholicism...Perverts' perverted perspective projects poop on us""Queer judge says queers can marry Surprize""Vasoline warriors prepare for battle"

These were just a few high(or low)lights.

I guess this is the kind of man Dr. Marvin Scott feels is the right man to lead the campaign against Congressman Andre Carson. Personally, I find many of these tweets reprehensible and vulgar. If I were Marvin Scott, I would have serious questions about someone who tweets and retweets garbage. It should be embarrassing for Republicans and embarrassing for Scott. Instead, Scott appears with Solomon on the butt awful Talk To Solomon show.

Marvin Scott should be horrified by Stan Solomon's views, but, instead, it looks like he might agree with them.

There will no longer be a regular Sunday posting on this blog unless there is something to warrant it. I apologize to anyone that this may inconvenience.

It's become very difficult for me to keep up a seven-day posting cycle, and, after a long internal debate, I have decided to cancel posting on Sundays. Sunday is typically the lowest day of readership on the blog.

From today forward, this blog will follow a Monday-Saturday schedule with occasional Sunday posts.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

September 11 used to be famous for being the 11th day of September. People with 9/11 birthdays celebrated them without any thought about it being anything other than their birthday. There were historical events that had occurred on that day in the past like Pete Rose's 4,192nd hit which gave him the all time baseball hits record. The Camp David Accords were agreed to on this date in 1979, and, coincidentally in 1941 ground was broken in Northern Virginia for what would become a large office complex for the then-United States Department of War and military known as the Pentagon.

September 11th's place in history changed at 8:46 a.m. in New York City in 2001. At that moment, terrorists crashed a hijacked airplane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. What is now known as the "September 11th Attacks" had begun. From that moment, September 11th was cemented, by no fault of its own, into our collective psyche just like December 7th or November 22nd or April 20th.

I can't tell you where I was or what I was doing on September 10, 2001. I can tell you almost every detail of what happened on September 11th. I can remember my feelings. I can remember the silence of no air traffic for the first time in my life. I can remember the feeling of helplessness I had when, for those minutes, we didn't know what was being attacked next. I can remember not sleeping that night because I kept seeing the North Tower crumble in my brain. When I close my eyes, and I think about it; I don't need a television replay or a video to remember.

Today, we honor those innocent people that lost their lives in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in that field in Pennsylvania. It's a holiday called Patriot Day, and we should all pause at some point and think about those folks. They represented the tapestry of the beauty of this country. They were old, middle aged, and young. They were rich, middle class, and poor. Some died knowing their fate and others died trying to rescue folks. They were all different religions, nationalities, races, and sexual orientations.

As we look back at the 2,977 victims from that day, I wonder this question. Do we honor them enough? How do you begin to honor these souls...many of which that died only because they went to work that day or decided to take a flight that day or decided to rush into a burning building that day? There is no proper way to honor them. We just do.

It's why we must never forget what September 11 has come to mean, and it's why we must endeavor to never let it happen to us again.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Tomorrow is September 11, so I'm going ahead and doing the normal Saturday Humor thing on Friday.

Gawker and several other websites and blogs found perhaps the craziest political speech of all time and posted it online on their website. It's Stark County (OH) Republican Phil Davison giving his speech to try to win the nomination for county treasurer. The result was not good, but I think this one may go viral, so the Glenn Beck-wanna-be-without-the-charisma may actually get some play out of this.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

It sounds like something George Carlin might use in a comedy act to illustrate the idea of irony. The Dove World Outreach Center, led by bigot..er...pastor Terry Jones, is planning on doing some book burning on Saturday, but that book burning won't be the typical extreme Christian book burning targets: it will be the Muslim holy book, the Quran.

How completely ironic is it that a congregation named for the international sign of peace (the dove) doing something completely and very un-peaceful. It's not only ironic, it's absurd.

The stated purpose Jones hides behind in this action is that age old junk, "They do it, so we should do it." WRONG. This sort of thing should never happen in America where we celebrate religious freedom as much as we celebrate freedom of speech. When people point out that the Bible is burned around the world, your answer should be, "So what?"

It's also sort of ironic that the First Amendment protects Jones and his congregation's right to burn the Quran, but it also protects the rights of Muslims to practice their religion.

The Dove World Outreach Center's planned actions on 9/11/2010 completely defile the memory of the Muslim victims on 9/11/2001 as well as the deeper meaning of that date in American history. Yes, we did get attacked by extremists that day, but, in the days after, our country came together like it had not come together, arguably, in history.

Thank goodness people are speaking out against the Dove World Outreach Center's plans from the White House to General David Petraeus to 9/11 families to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Vatican. Still, as Slate reports, many Republicans have been so far silent on the issue.

I hope that one small Gainesville, Florida's Holy War of hatred does not spark something even worse. And, to the Muslims who read this blog, I stand with you in opposition to the Dove World Outreach Center's planned actions. I plead for all parties to ignore this potentially explosive action and chalk it up to a very disturbed pastor leading a very lost flock.

One major thing that Congressman Andre Carson’s detractors like to bring up is his educational background. They say that his degrees are somehow less because of where they came from. Assuming many of those are Republicans, they now have to zip their lips or also level the same criticism at one of their own.

Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman has earned her Associates Degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in business according to WTHR Channel 13. Carson earned a Masters from Indiana Wesleyan, a university based in Marion, Indiana. It has done a spectacular job reaching out to adults who are looking to add a degree or add another degree to their repertoire. I know people that have been through the program, and it’s as rigorous as any…in fact perhaps more rigorous because adult classes typically only meet once a week for many hours at a time (usually on a Saturday).

Skillman is widely considered as someone that will probably throw her hat into the ring for the Republican Gubernatorial nomination in 2012.

I say bravo to Skillman for finishing that degree despite her responsibilities at Lieutenant Governor. I also hope that the publicity around her finishing up at Indiana Wesleyan will help finally stop the ridiculous abuses Congressman Carson gets when he touts his Masters Degree from that institution as an accomplishment.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced today that he will not seek re-election next year. More details as they become available, but Daley told reporters that his decision had to do with personal issues. His wife is suffering from cancer.

Daley has served as Mayor of Chicago since 1989 when he won a special election to replace Mayor Harold Washington, who died in office.

If Dan Coats and his campaign thought it was smart to smear Brad Ellsworth's record in Congress, then he might be re-thinking it after this. Colonel Moe Davis, the Chief Prosecutor in the Guantanamo military commissions, speaks out against Coats in this video released by the Ellsworth campaign.

When you're up 15-20 points in the polls, sometimes it's best just to leave your opponent out of it. This all can only hurt Coats who comes of looking mighty hypocritical. This is a self-inflicted hole in the hull of the S/S Coats.

Most people believe this election was closer than the polls show, but, if the Ellsworth campaign is able to get this word out, then I think it tightens up...and really fast. No one likes a hypocrite, Dan Coats.